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Spongy moths feed on foliage of many plant varieties but prefer oak trees. High populations of these moths in a small area can eat the leaves off an entire tree, and ultimately kill it.
The Spongy Moth, also known as the Lymantria dispar dispar, and formerly called the European gypsy moth, is an invasive species that feeds on 300 different types of trees and shrubs.
The gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar), also known as the "spongy moth", was introduced in 1868 into the United States by Étienne Léopold Trouvelot, a French scientist living in Medford, Massachusetts. Because native silk-spinning caterpillars were susceptible to disease, Trouvelot imported the species in order to breed a more resistant hybrid ...
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, female spongy moths lay up to 1,000 eggs in masses on trees and stones in June and July. Eggs will then hatch from ...
Lymantria dispar dispar, commonly known as the gypsy moth, [1] European gypsy moth, LDD moth, or (in North America) North American gypsy moth or spongy moth, [2] is a species of moth in the family Erebidae. It has a native range that extends over Europe and parts of Africa, and is an invasive species in North America.
Forest-productivity can be reduced even without widespread mortality. During a spongy moth outbreak, entire forests can be defoliated but then recover. However, the energy required for new foliage weakens the trees. Oaks—a favorite food source for spongy moth larva—produce a reduced acorn crop for years after a defoliating event.
The etymology of "gypsy moth" is not conclusively known; however, the term is known to have been in use (as 'Gipsey') as early as 1832. [7] Moths of the subfamily Lymantriinae are commonly called tussock moths due to the tussock-like tufts of hair on the caterpillars. [8]: 9 The name Lymantria dispar is composed of two Latin-derived words.
Spongy moths themselves are not known to have many direct effects on humans outside of itchy, red rashes that may arise if they come into contact with skin, Cornell researchers say.